Ireland - again

Well, we're home from Ireland. It was wonderful. I'll include the daily reports I posted on Facebook. Selected pics will come later.

Day one - Newgrange, lunch at Poppie's in Enniskerry, Powerscourt gardens, Four Season's Dublin, me learning how to drive in Ireland, and sausage, chips and good music (including my wife singing Kerry Recruit with the band) at Gogarty's.

Day two - Crepes at Lemon, driving across Ireland, Athenry castle and village, Glenlo Abbey, bangers and mash, and a wonderful jam session at The Crane (thanks Craig Maddux!)

Day three - Ashford Caslte, taking a harris hawk named Geimhreadh for a hunt around the grounds, finding a hidden garden, exploring the old abbey in Cong, realizing Cong was where The Quiet Man was filmed, getting lost driving in circles in downtown Galway, and loading up on a ton of Butler's chocolate. Still to come, dinner (somewhere), music, and hopefully uploading some pics.

Day four - Most of the day was spent driving from Galway to Killarney, but that involved a lot of fun. Smoked salmon, onion, mushroom omelet, stopping in at two old churches, bacon, brie, cranberry sandwich, riding a ferry across the Shannon river, stopping for a herd of sheep to cross the road, lots of little towns with colorful buildings and one lane roads, watching Ireland play Andorra in soccer in a pub, and of course the verrrrry windy Cliffs of Moher.

Day five - Another driving day. Drove through Killarney National Park (amazing views) on our way to Durrus. Found the St. James church where probably a quarter of the headstones are Dukelows (yes we took pictures). Most of them are recent, but spoke to the rector and he referred us to Mary Dukelow (married to Richard) who run a dairy a couple of miles up the road. We visited with Mary who is in her eighties and she brought out a folder of info on the Dukelows (and yes we got a couple of pics pertinent to our line). Also, Big Peter is most likely buried in the same plot marked for James Peter - but there are no records *sigh*. The evening was spent picking up a couple of souvenirs, eating fish and chips and listening to some phenomenal trad music (one banjo player about Eric Byrd's age) at Buckley's. Noticed when all the instruments are high, the guitar becomes the bass / rhythm line.

Day six - Well, we head home tomorrow. Drove from Killarney to Enniskerry. Finished the trip at the POSH Ritz Carlton Powerscourt hotel. Visited the Limerick Branch for church. Returned to Gogarty's one more time and saw the singer who we saw a year and a half ago and one of the founders of the Gogarty's music venue. Enjoyed smoked fish and chips - and a carmel almond crepe - and saw a fox on the drive home - walked right in front of the car.